Mql4: after parameter changed on the fly, failed to redraw chart?

joshatt 2024.11.19 06:26

I added an edit box to adxvma indicator, allowing change adxvmaperiod on the fly, and it tested ok, but then I failed to redraw the chart. I've successfully fixed this kind of problem with a most simple ma indicator, and it has a oncalculate() structure. But with this one, I admit it's too complicated and above my level, I failed to convert it to oncalculate() structure. So I have to keep start() structure.
Please take a look at the code, especially onchartevent():

//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                                       adxvma.mq4 |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
#property copyright "mladen"
#property link      "www.forex-tsd.com"
#property indicator_chart_window
#property indicator_buffers 5
#property indicator_color1  DimGray  
#property indicator_color2  LimeGreen
#property indicator_color3  LimeGreen
#property indicator_color4  Orange
#property indicator_color5  Orange 
#property indicator_width1  3
#property indicator_width2  3
#property indicator_width3  3
#property indicator_width4  3
#property indicator_width5  3
#property strict
//
//
//
//
//
#include <Controls\Edit.mqh>
CEdit editBox;
string newParamValue;
 
extern ENUM_TIMEFRAMES    TimeFrame      = PERIOD_CURRENT; // Time frame to use
extern int                AdxVmaPeriod   = 10;             // Adxvma period
extern ENUM_APPLIED_PRICE AdxVmaPrice    = PRICE_MEDIAN;   // Price to use
extern bool               TrendMode      = true;           // Trend mode?
extern bool               Interpolate    = true;           // Interpolate in multi time frame mode?
//
//
//
//
//
double adxvma[];
double adxvmua[];
double adxvmub[];
double adxvmda[];
double adxvmdb[];
double trend[];
//
//
//
//
//
string indicatorFileName;
bool   returnBars;
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                                                  |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//
//
//
//
//
int init()
{
    ChartSetInteger(0, CHART_EVENT_MOUSE_MOVE, true);
    long width = ChartGetInteger(0, CHART_WIDTH_IN_PIXELS, 0); 
    editBox.Create(0, "EditBox", 0, width-200, 0, width-150, 25);
    editBox.Text(IntegerToString(AdxVmaPeriod)); // Fill it with the current external parameter value
    
   IndicatorBuffers(6);
   SetIndexBuffer(0,adxvma);
   SetIndexBuffer(1,adxvmua);
   SetIndexBuffer(2,adxvmub);
   SetIndexBuffer(3,adxvmda);
   SetIndexBuffer(4,adxvmdb);
   SetIndexBuffer(5,trend);
   //
   //
   //
   //
   //
      AdxVmaPeriod      = MathMax(AdxVmaPeriod,1);
      indicatorFileName = WindowExpertName();
      returnBars        = TimeFrame==-99;
      TimeFrame         = MathMax(TimeFrame,_Period);
   //
   //
   //
   //
   //
   
   IndicatorShortName(timeFrameToString(TimeFrame)+" AdxVma ("+DoubleToStr(AdxVmaPeriod,2)+")");
   return(0);
}
 
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//|                                                                  |
//+------------------------------------------------------------------+
//
//
//
//
//
double  work[][6];
#define prc 0
#define pdm 1
#define mdm 2
#define pdi 3
#define mdi 4
#define out 5
//
//
//
//
//
int start()
{
   int counted_bars = IndicatorCounted();
      if(counted_bars<0) return(-1);
      if(counted_bars>0) counted_bars--;
           int limit=MathMin(Bars-counted_bars,Bars-1);
           if (returnBars) { adxvma[0] = limit+1; return(0); }
   //
   //
   //
   //
   //
   
   if (TimeFrame == _Period)
   {
      if (ArrayRange(work,0)!=Bars) ArrayResize(work,Bars);
      if (trend[limit]== 1) CleanPoint(limit,adxvmua,adxvmub);
      if (trend[limit]==-1) CleanPoint(limit,adxvmda,adxvmdb);
      
      //
      //
      //
      //
      //
      
      for(int i = limit, r=Bars-i-1; i >= 0; i--,r++)
      {
         work[r][prc] = NormalizeDouble(iMA(NULL,0,1,0,MODE_SMA,AdxVmaPrice,i),4);
         //
         //
         //
         //
         //
            
         if (r<1) { adxvma[i] = work[r][prc]; continue; }
         double diff = work[r][prc]-work[r-1][prc];
         double tpdm = 0;
         double tmdm = 0;
               if (diff>0)
                     tpdm =  diff;
               else  tmdm = -diff;          
         work[r][pdm] = ((AdxVmaPeriod-1.0)*work[r-1][pdm]+tpdm)/AdxVmaPeriod;
         work[r][mdm] = ((AdxVmaPeriod-1.0)*work[r-1][mdm]+tmdm)/AdxVmaPeriod;
         //
         //
         //
         //
         //
         double trueRange = work[r][pdm]+work[r][mdm];
         double tpdi      = 0;
         double tmdi      = 0;
               if (trueRange>0)
               {
                  tpdi = work[r][pdm]/trueRange;
                  tmdi = work[r][mdm]/trueRange;
               }            
         work[r][pdi] = ((AdxVmaPeriod-1.0)*work[r-1][pdi]+tpdi)/AdxVmaPeriod;
         work[r][mdi] = ((AdxVmaPeriod-1.0)*work[r-1][mdi]+tmdi)/AdxVmaPeriod;
   
         //
         //
         //
         //
         //
                  
         double tout  = 0; if ((work[r][pdi]+work[r][mdi])>0) tout = MathAbs(work[r][pdi]-work[r][mdi])/(work[r][pdi]+work[r][mdi]);
         work[r][out] = ((AdxVmaPeriod-1.0)*work[r-1][out]+tout)/AdxVmaPeriod;
         //
         //
         //
         //
         //
                 
         double thi = MathMax(work[r][out],work[r-1][out]);
         double tlo = MathMin(work[r][out],work[r-1][out]);
            for (int j = 2; j<AdxVmaPeriod && r-j>=0; j++)
            {
               thi = MathMax(work[r-j][out],thi);
               tlo = MathMin(work[r-j][out],tlo);
            }            
         double vi = 0; if ((thi-tlo)>0) vi = (work[r][out]-tlo)/(thi-tlo);
      //
      //
      //
      //
      //
         
         adxvma[i]  = ((AdxVmaPeriod-vi)*adxvma[i+1]+vi*work[r][prc])/AdxVmaPeriod;
         adxvmua[i] = EMPTY_VALUE;
         adxvmub[i] = EMPTY_VALUE;
         adxvmda[i] = EMPTY_VALUE;
         adxvmdb[i] = EMPTY_VALUE;
            if (TrendMode)
                  trend[i] = trend[i+1];
            else  trend[i] = 0;
            if (adxvma[i]>adxvma[i+1]) trend[i] =  1;
            if (adxvma[i]<adxvma[i+1]) trend[i] = -1;
            if (trend[i]== 1) PlotPoint(i,adxvmua,adxvmub,adxvma);
            if (trend[i]==-1) PlotPoint(i,adxvmda,adxvmdb,adxvma);
      }
      return(0);
   }
   
   
   //
   //
   //
   //
   //
   
   limit = (int)MathMax(limit,MathMin(Bars-1,iCustom(NULL,TimeFrame,indicatorFileName,-99,0,0)*TimeFrame/_Period));
   if (trend[limit]== 1) CleanPoint(limit,adxvmua,adxvmub);
   if (trend[limit]==-1) CleanPoint(limit,adxvmda,adxvmdb);
   for (int i=limit;i>=0;i--)
   {
      int y = iBarShift(NULL,TimeFrame,Time[i]);
         adxvma[i]  = iCustom(NULL,TimeFrame,indicatorFileName,PERIOD_CURRENT,AdxVmaPeriod,AdxVmaPrice,TrendMode,0,y);
         trend[i]   = iCustom(NULL,TimeFrame,indicatorFileName,PERIOD_CURRENT,AdxVmaPeriod,AdxVmaPrice,TrendMode,5,y);
         adxvmua[i] = EMPTY_VALUE;
         adxvmub[i] = EMPTY_VALUE;
         adxvmda[i] = EMPTY_VALUE;
         adxvmdb[i] = EMPTY_VALUE;
         //
         //
         //
         //
         //
      
            if (!Interpolate || (i>0 && y==iBarShift(NULL,TimeFrame,Time[i-1]))) continue;
         //
         //
         //
         //
         //
         int n,k; datetime time = iTime(NULL,TimeFrame,y);
            for(n = 1; i+n<Bars && Time[i+n] >= time; n++) continue;    
            for(k = 1; i+n<Bars && i+k<Bars && k<n; k++)
               adxvma[i+k] = adxvma[i] + (adxvma[i+n]-adxvma[i])*k/n;
   }
   for (int i=limit;i>=0;i--)
   {
      if (trend[i]== 1) PlotPoint(i,adxvmua,adxvmub,adxvma);
      if (trend[i]==-1) PlotPoint(i,adxvmda,adxvmdb,adxvma);
   }
   return(0);
}
//-------------------------------------------------------------------
//                                                                  
//-------------------------------------------------------------------
//
//
//
//
//
void CleanPoint(int i,double& first[],double& second[])
{
   if (i>=Bars-3) return;
   if ((second[i]  != EMPTY_VALUE) && (second[i+1] != EMPTY_VALUE))
        second[i+1] = EMPTY_VALUE;
   else
      if ((first[i] != EMPTY_VALUE) && (first[i+1] != EMPTY_VALUE) && (first[i+2] == EMPTY_VALUE))
          first[i+1] = EMPTY_VALUE;
}
void PlotPoint(int i,double& first[],double& second[],double& from[])
{
   if (i>=Bars-2) return;
   if (first[i+1] == EMPTY_VALUE)
      if (first[i+2] == EMPTY_VALUE) 
            { first[i]  = from[i];  first[i+1]  = from[i+1]; second[i] = EMPTY_VALUE; }
      else  { second[i] =  from[i]; second[i+1] = from[i+1]; first[i]  = EMPTY_VALUE; }
   else     { first[i]  = from[i];                           second[i] = EMPTY_VALUE; }
}

//+-------------------------------------------------------------------
//|                                                                  
//+-------------------------------------------------------------------
//
//
//
//
//
string sTfTable[] = {"M1","M5","M15","M30","H1","H4","D1","W1","MN"};
int    iTfTable[] = {1,5,15,30,60,240,1440,10080,43200};
string timeFrameToString(int tf)
{
   for (int i=ArraySize(iTfTable)-1; i>=0; i--) 
         if (tf==iTfTable[i]) return(sTfTable[i]);
                              return("");
}

void OnChartEvent(const int id, const long &lparam, const double &dparam, const string &sparam) 
{
    if(id == CHARTEVENT_OBJECT_ENDEDIT && sparam == "EditBox")       //----end editing------------
    {
        // Get the text from the edit box and try to convert it to integer
        newParamValue = editBox.Text();
        int tempValue = StringToInteger(newParamValue);
        if (tempValue > 0) { // Validate the new value
            AdxVmaPeriod = tempValue; // Update the external parameter
            Print("Updated AdxVmaPeriod to: ", AdxVmaPeriod);
            ....... // here is what i need help, now AdxVmaPeriod does update well, the chart just won't update.
            ChartRedraw(); // Ensure the chart is updated
        } else {
            Print("Invalid input! Please enter a valid number.");
        }
    }
}
void OnDeinit(const int reason) {
    // Destroy the GUI elements
    editBox.Destroy();
}

joshatt 2024.11.19 07:53 #1

Well, I found a bypass like this, it kind of works, but not fast enough. Hope there is a way to instantly redraw instead of waiting for next tick:

bool changed;
int start()
{  
   int limit;
   int counted_bars = IndicatorCounted();
      if(counted_bars<0) return(-1);
      if(counted_bars>0) counted_bars--;
      if(changed)
        {
          limit = Bars-1;
          changed = false;
        }
      else   limit=MathMin(Bars-counted_bars,Bars-1);
.....
}
void OnChartEvent(const int id, const long &lparam, const double &dparam, const string &sparam) {
    if (id == CHARTEVENT_OBJECT_ENDEDIT && sparam == "EditBox") { // End editing of the edit box
        // Get the text from the edit box and try to convert it to integer
        newParamValue = editBox.Text();
        int tempValue = StringToInteger(newParamValue);
        
        if (tempValue > 0) { // Validate the new value
            AdxVmaPeriod = tempValue; // Update the external parameter
            Print("Updated AdxVmaPeriod to: ", AdxVmaPeriod);
            changed = true;
......
}

Fabio Cavalloni 2024.11.19 08:03 #2

Call the function "start" after the variable get updated into OnChartEvent

joshatt 2024.11.19 08:44 #3

Fabio Cavalloni #:
Call the function "start" after the variable get updated into OnChartEvent

Thanks for your help. start() then chartredraw()? tried so many times already.

Fabio Cavalloni 2024.11.19 16:41 #4

I think it's not the right approach even if it can work...

First thing you should replace the start function with the OnCalculate one, then, possibly (but it's just a supposition), you can try to use the command

ChartSetSymbolPeriod(0,NULL,0);

to forcely refresh the chart.

MISSING BARS in Chart, Coding help Please fix this indicator

joshatt 2024.11.20 05:10 #5

Fabio Cavalloni #:

I think it's not the right approach even if it can work...

First thing you should replace the start function with the OnCalculate one, then, possibly (but it's just a supposition), you can try to use the command

to forcely refresh the chart.

WOW, that works perfectly. I never noticed this chartsetsymbolperiod() before. With limited test, it seems works on both oncalculate() and start().

Much appreciate it!

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